Jotun
Giants follow the ordning, a hierarchical ranking system of giant races. While there was once a war between the fire giants and cloud giants over the 3rd highest spot, the 2nd highest on the ordning has always been the storm giants. Above the storm giants are the Jotun, spoken of in legends and worshipped as gods by the giant tribes. Giants among Giants The Jotun are said to be giants so large their heads pass throught the clouds, so powerful that every footstep causes the earth to shake. According to giant legend, the Cataclysm is the result of a conflict between Ezentar and the Jotun which ended in the destruction of the great empire. The Jotun are said to have returned to secret places and entered a deep slumber, exhausted from their battle. The giants claim that one day the Jotun will awaken once more, though what they will actually do once awake is a much disagreed upon subject in giant society and is one of the leading causes for the numerous schisms that take place in giant tribes. The alleged size of the Jotun is often cited as an argument against their existence, as it seems impossible that such an enormous creature should escape the notice of scrying wizards and the like. However, some claim that the giants might well be capable of hiding the Jotun if they had access to pre-Cataclysm knowledge. The myths differ greatly from tribe to tribe, making it difficult for scholars to determine whether the legend of the Jotun could have any basis in fact. Another unfortunate impediment to the study of the Jotun myth is that even the giant priests to the Jotun refuse to call upon even the smallest amount of divine power, claiming that to do so would be to delay their god's prophecied awakening. In other ways, however, this is quite fortunate, as giant clerics would no doubt be a terror to face in combat. The Jotun Ordning The pantheon of Jotun worshipped by the giants are also arranged in a hierarchy that follows the ordning. Skuldra Skuldra is said to be the greatest among the Jotun, a giant who rules the heavens from a floating castle higher than the sky itself. His title among giants is Mornung Betande, meaning high king of the heavens in the Giant tongue. Skuldra is described as being a wise and decisive ruler, but stubborn and unwilling to change a decision once made. He is associated with two artifacts, the ''Fjalrtomn, ''a magnificent crowned helm that allows the wearer to manipulate the weather, and ''Stirijand, ''a round hammer set with gems that falls on the foes of the giants like a thousand bolts of lightning. Kredas Kredas is either second or third in the ordning, a Jotun of flame whose footsteps are said to cause volcanoes to rise up behind him. Kredas is of a fiery and passionate temperament, often disagreeing with Skuldra about how best to proceed. It is said that the lesser giants, such as trolls and ogres, were created as the result of these disagreements, as each time Kredas would attempt to create a better race of giants than Skuldra and returning in shame when his creations proved to be of lesser quality. Vrinda Vrinda is either second or third in the ordning. She is a mysterious figure in giant mythology, seldom appearing in the many (oft conflicting) accounts of the meetings of the Jotun. Nonetheless, most accounts of her are accompanied by great feats of strength and wisdom, enough to rival even Skuldra. She is said to live in a fortress in the clouds, hidden away even from the other Jotun. The legends attribute a cruel streak to Vrinda, who is often depicted as being vengeful and holding grudges for even small offenses. Tirgaf Fourth in the ordning is Tirgaf, the ice-bearded Jotun. He is described as a jolly, carefree warrior, friendly to his companions and merciless to his enemies. Giants other than the ice giants describe him as a bit of an idiot, once declaring that he would destroy water itself and attacking the nearest lake. In the version of this story told by the ice giants, Tirgaf fights a massive body of water (thought to be the legendary "ocean" theorized by some wizards) and wins. Stodjam Stodjam is the fifth in the ordning, a Jorun made of stone with two massive emeralds for eyes. He is a patient and prudent giant, who is usually present at the meetings of the ordning but rarely speaks. In a rare area of agreement across giant mythology, Stodjam is highly respected by all of the Jotun. Stone giant mythology implies that it is in fact Stodjam that has the most sway among the Jotun rather than Skuldra. Rixturm Rixturm is the sixth in the ordning, a Jotun of storms said to be the advisor and consort of Skuldra. She is seen as the most benevolent of the Jotun, but also the most terrifying when angered. Giant legend speaks of a sixth race of giants, the greatest accomplishment of Kredas. However, this sixth race angered Rixturm so greatly that she called lightning bolts to kill every last member of it. For this reason, Rixturm and Kredas have had a long-standing hatred for one another. Sromb Last in the ordning, Sromb is seen as an ambitious and manipulative Jotun of clouds. Sromb attempts to win the favor of the more powerful Jotun at every turn, and is often a comedic figure for his failure to stand by is former decisions - one of the most central underpinnings of giant society. Despite this, Sromb is a clever tactitian, and is said to have been instrumental in the victory of the Jotun over Ezentar. Category:Deities